Effect Of Nitrogen, Phosphorus And Potassium On Growth And Medicinal Quality Of Prunella Vulgaris L.

Solution culture experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on the growth and medicinal quality of Prunella vulgaris L. from the view point of plant nutrition physiology and medicinal materials quality. Under different nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels and NH4+-N/NO3--N ratios treatments the measurements of P. vulgaris were included as follows:the growth and development, the growth and physiological metabolism of leaves, photo synthetic characteristics,10 mineral elements(N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Cl) and main components(rosmarinic, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, total flavone and water extract) contents. Specific results obtained were as follows:1. The study on the relationship between nitrogen levels and growth and quality of P. vulgaris was carried out. The results showed that:Compared to nitrogen deficiency, nitrogen additions obviously can promote the growth of P. vulgaris. However, high nitrogen addition would inhibit the growth. Ammonium nitrogen inhibit the growth and yield form, high ammonium nitrogen level would lead to the plant death. Nitrate nitrogen can improve the growth and biomass. Ammonium nitrogen treatments can highly improve the P. vulgaris leaf soluble sugar content, free amino acid content, GS activity than nitrate treatments. On the other hand, the nitrate nitrogen ability of increased soluble protein content, NR activity was stronger than ammonium nitrogen. Nitrogen can increase the photosynthetic pigment content. In the same nitrogen level, nitrogen photosynthetic pigment content of nitrate treatment slightly above ammonium treatment; the enhancing extent of the photosynthetic rate were not always significant with the increase of nitrogen level. In which, the high ammonium nitrogen level would inhibit the photosynthetic rate. The N content of different parts of the plant increased with the increasing of nitrogen levels, and in the same nitrate level, the N contents in nitrate cultivates plant were lower than ammonium nitrogen treatments of them. Nitrogen deficiency could improve the rosmarinic acid content, while nitrogen additions would obviously improve the total flavone and water extract contents. The ursolic acid and oleanolic acid contents in ammonium treatments were higher than which in nitrate treatements.2. Based on the effects of different NH4+:NO3- ratios on the growth physiology, photosynthesis, mineral elements content and active components contents of Prunella vulgaris L., it was found that, NH4+-N is not conducive to the growth and yield formation of P. vulgaris The NH4+:NO3- ratios greater than 50/50 could have different degrees of inhibition of growth, and 50/50,25/75 NH4+-N:NO3--N were better than pure nitrate nutrition. With the decline in the proportion of ammonium N, N content in different parts of P. vulgaris lower, so ammonia nitrogen was more favorable for N accumulation. In addition, different nitrogen forms would affect the active ingredient contents. The biggest rosmarinic acid and total flavone were found in the ratios of NH4+-N to NO3--N of 25/75. The ursolic acid, oleanolic acid and water extract contents were found to be the highest in pure ammonium nutrition, However, P. vulgaris had a minimum ursolic acid and oleanolic acid in pure nitrate nutrition., and NH4+-N to NO3-N of 25/75 had a minimum water extract content.3. Based on the effects of different phosphorus levels on the growth, physiology, photosynthesis, mineral elements content and the accumulation of active components, it was found that, compared with the phosphorus deficiency treatment, properly increasing phosphorus addition could promote the growth and yield formation of Prunella vulgaris L.. The same growth period, the leaf soluble sugar, soluble protein and free amino acid, NR, GS activity of these P cultivars increased with the increasing of phosphorus levels, and appeared as parabola trend. Those were found to be the minimum in phosphorus deficiency treatment, and high phosphorus level would inhibit them. P. vulgaris had lower net photo synthetic rates in phosphorus deficiency and high phosphorus level and higher in the other two treat levels. The P contents in every part of P. vulgaris were increased with the increasing of phosphorus levels. Contrasted with the treatment of phosphorus deficiency and phosphorus additions obviously, rosmarinic acid content was significant different, which was found highest in medium phosphorus addition, and that of phosphorus deficiency follow it. The ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, total flavonoids in phosphorus deficiency treatment were all highest than phosphorus addition treatments. The deficiency treatment P. vulgaris water-soluble extract was the lowest.4. Study on the relationship between potassium levels and growth and quality of P. vulgaris it was discovered that, both potassium deficiency and high potassium level were not conducive to the growth and yield formation of P. vulgaris. Properly increasing potassium addition could increase the content of soluble sugar, soluble protein and free amino acid. The NR, GS activity of these K cultivars increased with the increasing of phosphorus levels, and appeared as parabola trend. Appropriate potassium addition obviously increased net photosynthetic rates, high potassium treatment but would inhibit its net photosynthetic rates. Potassium additions significantly increased the K contents in different parts of P. vulgaris. The leaves, spikes and stems N, P, Ca, Mg content and roots P, Ca content of potassium deficiency cultivate were significantly higher than other treatments. The elements Zn, Fe, B, Mn, Cu in potassium deficiency plant were higher or the highest than other treatments. In addition, some elements distributed in high potassium treatment plants were also higher, rank only second to potassium deficiency treatment. The rosmarinic acid content of potassium deficiency P. vulgaris,0.541%, was found to be the highest, and significantly higher than the potassium additions, followed by the medium potassium level,0.384%. The ursolic acid and total flavonoid were both found to be the highest in potassium deficiency spikes, meanwhile the oleanolic acid and water soluble extract were found highest in high potassium treatment spikes, deficiency treatment followed. Visible, potassium deficiency and high potassium treatments would enhance the active ingredient content of P. vulgaris spike.